EP0988317A2 - Aib1, ein steroidrezeptor co-aktivator - Google Patents

Aib1, ein steroidrezeptor co-aktivator

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Publication number
EP0988317A2
EP0988317A2 EP98931358A EP98931358A EP0988317A2 EP 0988317 A2 EP0988317 A2 EP 0988317A2 EP 98931358 A EP98931358 A EP 98931358A EP 98931358 A EP98931358 A EP 98931358A EP 0988317 A2 EP0988317 A2 EP 0988317A2
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ser
aibl
gin
gly
pro
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French (fr)
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EP0988317B1 (de
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Paul Meltzer
Jeffrey M. Trent
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US Department of Health and Human Services
US Government
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US Department of Health and Human Services
US Government
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07K—PEPTIDES
    • C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
    • C07K14/435—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
    • C07K14/46—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from vertebrates
    • C07K14/47—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from vertebrates from mammals
    • C07K14/4701—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from vertebrates from mammals not used
    • C07K14/4702—Regulators; Modulating activity
    • C07K14/4705—Regulators; Modulating activity stimulating, promoting or activating activity
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
    • A61P35/00—Antineoplastic agents
    • A61P35/04—Antineoplastic agents specific for metastasis
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K2217/00—Genetically modified animals
    • A01K2217/05—Animals comprising random inserted nucleic acids (transgenic)
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K2217/00—Genetically modified animals
    • A01K2217/07—Animals genetically altered by homologous recombination
    • A01K2217/075—Animals genetically altered by homologous recombination inducing loss of function, i.e. knock out
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
    • A61K38/00—Medicinal preparations containing peptides

Definitions

  • AIBl A NOVEL STEROID RECEPTOR CO-ACTTVATOR
  • Breast cancer arises from estrogen-responsive breast epithelial cells. Estrogen activity is thought to promote the development of breast cancer, and many breast cancers are initially --_ dependent on estrogen at the time of diagnosis. Anti-estrogen compositions have therefore been used to treat breast cancer.
  • a frequent mechanism of increased gene expression in human cancers is amplification, i.e., the copy number of a DNA sequence is increased, in a cancer cell compared to a non-cancerous cell.
  • amplification i.e., the copy number of a DNA sequence is increased, in a cancer cell compared to a non-cancerous cell.
  • breast cancer commonly amplified regions are derived from 17q21, 8q24, and llql3 which encode erbB-2, c-myc, and cyclic Dl respectively (Devilee et al., 1994, Crit. Rev. Oncog. 5:247-270).
  • molecular cyiogenetic studies have revealed the occurrence in breast cancers of additional regions of increased DNA copy number (Isola et al., Am. J. Pathol.
  • Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American women, and it is estimated that an American woman has at least a 10% cumulative lifetime risk of developing this disease.
  • Early diagnosis is an important factor in breast cancer prognosis and affects not only survival rate, but the range of therapeutic options available to the patient. For instance, if diagnosed early, a "lumpectomy" may be performed, whereas later diagnosis tends to be associated with more invasive and traumatic surgical treatments such as radical mastectomy.
  • the treatment of other cancers likewise is benefitted by early diagnosis, for instance the prognosis in the treatment of lung cancer, colorectal cancer and prostate cancers is greatly improved by early diagnosis.
  • AIBl protein (Amplified In Breast Cancer-1) is a member of the Steroid Receptor Coactivator - 1 (SRC-1) family of nuclear receptor co-activators that interacts with estrogen receptors (ER) to enhance ER-dependent transcription.
  • SRC-1 Steroid Receptor Coactivator - 1
  • ER estrogen receptors
  • the inventors _ have further discovered that the AIBl gene is amplified and over-expressed in certain cancers including breast cancer, and that detection of amplified AIBl genes can therefore be used to detect cancerous cells.
  • AIBl amplification is not confined to breast cancer but is also found in cancers of the lung, ovary, head and neck, colon, testicles, bladder, prostate, endometrium, kidney, stomach and also in pheochromocytoma, melanoma, ductal carcinoma and carcinoid tumor.
  • AIBl may be useful in the detection and treatment of all of the aforementioned cancers which include some of the most- prevalent and deadly diseases in the western world.
  • AIBl interacts with the proteins p300 and CBP, which are nuclear cofactors that interact with other nuclear factors to promote transcription (Chacravarti et al., Nature (383) 99-103 1996; Lundblad et al., Nature (374) 85-88 1995).
  • the inventors have, furthermore, determined that in cells with stable over-expression of AIBl, there is a dramatic increase in steroid receptor activation (almost a 100-fold increase) leading to a corresponding increase in transcriptional activation.
  • monoclonal anti- AIB1 antibodies to demonstrate that AIBl gene amplification is directly correlated with increased AIBl expression, and that these amplified copies of the gene are expressed in physiological conditions.
  • AIBl is the human ortholog of the mouse ER-dependent transcriptional activator p/CIP, with the proteins having an overall amino acid identity of 81.6%. These finding support the physiological role for AIBl in cancer cells as a cofactor involved in transcriptional regulation.
  • the invention features a substantially pure DNA which includes a sequence encoding an AIBl polypeptide, e.g., a human AIBl polypeptide, or a fragment thereof.
  • the DNA may have the sequence of all or part of the naturally-occurring AIBl -encoding DNA or a degenerate variant thereof.
  • AIBl -encoding DNA may be operably linked to regulatory sequences for expression of the polypeptide.
  • a cell containing AIBl encoding DNA is also within the invention.
  • the invention also includes a substantially pure DNA containing a polynucleotides which hybridizes at high stringency to a AIBl -encoding DNA or the complement thereof.
  • a substantially pure DNA containing a nucleotide sequence having at least 50% sequence identity to the full length AIBl cDNA, e.g., a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having the biological activity of a AIBl polypeptide is also included.
  • the invention also features a substantially pure human AIBl polypeptide and variants thereof, e.g., polypeptides with conservative amino acid substitutions or polypeptides with conservative or non-conservative amino acid substitutions which retain the biological activity of naturally-occurring AIBl.
  • Diagnostic methods e.g., to identify cells which harbor an abnormal copy number of the AIBl DNA, are also encompassed by the invention.
  • An abnormal copy number e.g., greater than the normal diploid copy number, of AIBl DNA is indicative of an aberrantly proliferating cell, e.g., a steroid hormone-responsive cancer cell.
  • the invention also includes antibodies, e.g., a monoclonal antibody or polyclonal antisera, which bind specifically to AIBl and can be used to detect the level of expression of AIBl in a cell or tissue sample.
  • antibodies e.g., a monoclonal antibody or polyclonal antisera, which bind specifically to AIBl and can be used to detect the level of expression of AIBl in a cell or tissue sample.
  • An increase in the level of expression of AIBl in a patient-derived tissue sample compared to the level in normal control tissue indicates the presence of a cell proliferative disorder such as cancer.
  • the invention also includes a knockout mutant, for example a mouse (or other mammal) from which at least one AIBl gene has been selectively deleted from its genome.
  • a knockout mutant for example a mouse (or other mammal) from which at least one AIBl gene has been selectively deleted from its genome.
  • a mouse is useful in research, for instance, the phenotype gives insight into the physiological role of the deleted gene.
  • the mutant may be defective in specific biochemical pathways; such a knockout mutant may be used in complementation experiments to determine the role of other genes and proteins to determine if any such genes or proteins complement for the deleted gene. Homozygous and heterozygous mutants are included in this aspect of the invention.
  • the present invention also includes a mutant organism, for example a mammal such as a mouse which contains more than the normal number of AIBl genes in its genome.
  • a mammal such as a mouse which contains more than the normal number of AIBl genes in its genome.
  • Such a mouse may contain additional copies of the AIBl gene integrated into its chromosomes, for instance in the form of a pro-virus, or may carry additional copies on extra-chromosomal elements such as plasmids.
  • Such a mutant mouse is useful for research purposes, to elucidate the physiological or pathological role of AIBl. For instance, the role of AIBl expression as cause or effect in cancers may be investigated by including or transplanting tumors into such mutants, and comparing such mutants with normal mice having the same cancer.
  • the present invention also includes a mutant organism, for example a mammal, e.g. a mouse, that contains, either integrated into a chromosome or on a plasmid, at least one copy of the AIBl gene driven by a non-native promoter.
  • a promoter may be constitutive or may be inducible.
  • the AIBl gene may be operatively linked to a mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter or other promoter from a mammalian virus allowing manipulation of AIBl expression.
  • MMTV mouse mammary tumor virus
  • Such a mutant would be useful for research purposes to determine the physiological or pathological role of AIBl. For instance, over or under expression could be affected and physiological effects observed.
  • the invention also includes methods for treatment of cancers that involve functions of or alterations in the signaling pathways that use p300 and/or CBP as signal transducing molecules.
  • the treatments of the invention involve targeting of the AIBl protein or AIBl gene to enhance or reduce interaction with p300 and/or CBP proteins.
  • the AIBl gene sequence as disclosed herein may be used to construct an anti-sense nucleotide.
  • An anti-sense RNA may be constructed that is anti-parallel and complementary to the AIBl transcript (or part thereof) and which will therefore form an RNA-RNA duplex with the AIBl transcript, preventing transcription and expression of AIBl.
  • treatments may comprise contacting an AIBl protein with a molecule that specifically binds to the AIBl molecule in vivo, thereby interfering with AIBl binding with other factors such as p300 or CBP.
  • Such processes are designed to inhibit signal transduction pathways involving AIBl, p300, CBP and other factors and therefore inhibit cancer cell proliferation that is effected via these pathways.
  • AIBl overexpression results in increased ER-dependent transcriptional activity which confers a growth advantage upon AIBl amplification-bearing clones during the development and progression of estrogen-dependent cancers.
  • Compounds which inhibit or disrupt the interaction of an AIBl gene product with a steroid hormone receptor, e.g., ER, are useful as anti-neoplastic agents for the treatment of patients suffering from steroid hormone-responsive cancers such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer.
  • AIBl polypeptides or peptide mimetics of such polypeptides can be administered to patients to block the interaction of endogenous intracellular AIBl and a steroid hormone receptor, e.g., ER in an aberrantly proliferating cell. It is likely that AIBl interacts with a wide range of human transcriptional factors and that regulation of such interactions will have important therapeutic applications.
  • nucleic acid and amino acid sequences listed in the accompanying Sequence Listing are shown using standard letter abbreviations for nucleotide bases and three-letter code for amino acids. Only one strand of each nucleic acid sequence is shown, but the complementary strand is understood to be included by any reference to the displayed strand.
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 1 shows the nucleic acid sequence of the human AIBl cDNA and the corresponding amino acid sequence.
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 2 shows the amino acid sequence of the Per/Arnt/Sim (PAS) domain of AIBl.
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 3 shows the amino acid sequence of the basic helix-loop-helix domain (bHLH) of AIBl.
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 4 shows the amino acid sequence of the human AIBl protein.
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 5 shows the nucleic acid sequence of primer N8F1.
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 6 shows the nucleic acid sequence of the forward primer designed from the
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 7 shows the nucleic acid sequence of the reverse primer designed from the 5' sequence of pCMVSPORT-Bll, PM-U2.
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 8 shows the amino acid sequence of the ER-interacting domain of AIBl.
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 9 shows the nucleic acid sequence of pCIP, the mouse ortholog of AIBl and the amino acid sequence for this gene.
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 10 shows the nucleic acid sequence of the forward primer AIBl/mESTFl used to screen mouse BAC. -
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 11 shows the nucleic acid sequence of the reverse primer AIBl/mESTRl used to screen mouse BAC.
  • SEQ. I.D. No. 12 shows the amino acid sequence of pCIP, the mouse ortholog of AIBl.
  • Fig. 1A is a diagram of an amino acid sequence of full length AIBl in which residues highlighted in black are identical in AIBl, TIF2 and SRC1. Residues identical with TIF2 (GenBank accession number X97674) or SRC-1 (GenBank accession number U59302) are highlighted in grey or boxed, respectively.
  • Fig. IB is a diagram showing the structural features of AIBl . The following domains are indicated: bHLH domain, PAS domains (with the highly conserved PAS A and B regions shown in dark gray), S/T (serine/threonine)-rich regions, and a group of charged residues (+/-). A glutamine-rich region and polyglutamine tract are also indicated. The numbers beneath the diagram indicate the location (approximate residue number) of the domain with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in Fig. 1A. The alignment was generated using DNASTAR software.
  • Fig. 2 is a photograph of a Northern blot analysis showing increased expression of AIBl in the cell lines BT-474, ZR-75-1, MCF7, and BG-1.
  • Fig. 3 is a bar graph showing that the addition of full length AIBl DNA to a cell resulted in an increase of estrogen-dependent transcription from an ER reporter plasmid.
  • COS-1 cells were transiently transfected with 250 ng ER expression vector (pHEGO-hyg), 10 ng of luciferase reporter plasmid (pGL3.luc.3ERE or 10 ng pGL3 lacking ERE) and increasing amounts of pcDNA3.1-AIBl and incubated in the absence (open bars) or presence of 10 nM 17 ⁇ -stradiol (E2, solid bars) or 100 nM 4-hydroxytamoxifen (hatched bars). Luciferase activity was expressed in relative luminescence units (RLU). The data are the mean of three determinations from one of four replicate experiments. Error bars indicate one standard deviation.
  • Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram comparing the DNA and protein structures of pCIP (the mouse ortholog of AIBl) and the human AIBl; exons are shown as black boxes.
  • Fig. 5 is a table showing the introns and exons of the mouse AIBl gene (pCIP).
  • the "Exon” column refers to the number of the exon;
  • cDNA bp 5 '-exon refers to the nucleotide position in the mouse cDNA sequence for the 5' exon.
  • 3' intron splice cite refers to the last few nucleotides of the 3' position of the intron.
  • Exon sequence refers to the exon itself.
  • 5' intron refers to the ⁇ adjacent intron reading from the exon into the splice donor elinucleotides (usually GT).
  • Fig. 6 is a table showing the introns and exons of the human AIBl gene.
  • Exon column refers to the number of the exon; "cDNA bp 5 '-exon” refers to the nucleotide position in the mouse cDNA sequence for the 5' exon. "3' intron splice cite” refers to the last few nucleotides of the 3' position of the intron. "Exon sequence” refers to the exon itself. “5' intron” refers to the adjacent intron reading from the exon into the splice donor nucleotides (usually GT).
  • AIBl breast cancer- 1
  • the invention is based on the discovery of a novel gene, amplified in breast cancer- 1 (AIBl), which is overexpressed in breast cancer.
  • AIBl has the structural features of a co-activator of the steroid hormone receptor family.
  • the steroid hormone estrogen and other related steroid hormones act on cells through specific steroid receptors.
  • AIBl is a novel member of the SRC family which was found to be overexpressed in breast cancers.
  • the AIBl gene is located at human chromosome 20q. High-level AIBl amplification and overexpression were observed in several estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast and ovarian cancer cell lines, as well as in uncultured breast cancer specimens.
  • ER estrogen receptor
  • AIBl amplification is not confined to breast cancer but is also found in cancers of the lung, ovary, head and neck, colon, testicles, bladder, prostate, endometrium, kidney, stomach and also in pheochromocytoma, melanoma, ductal carcinoma and carcinoid tumor.
  • AIBl functions as a co-activator of steroid hormone receptors such as ER (including estrogen receptor (ER ⁇ ) and estrogen receptor ⁇ (ER ⁇ )), androgen receptor (e.g., expressed in prostate cells), retinoid receptor (e.g., isoforms ⁇ , ⁇ , and retinoid X receptor (RXR)), progesterone receptor (e.g., expressed in breast cells), mineralocorticoid receptor (implicated in salt metabolism disorders), vitamin D receptor (implicated in calcium metabolism disorders), thyroid hormone receptor (e.g, thyroid hormone receptor ), or glucocorticoid receptor (e.g., expressed in spleen and thymus cells).
  • ER including estrogen receptor (ER ⁇ ) and estrogen receptor ⁇ (ER ⁇ )
  • androgen receptor e.g., expressed in prostate cells
  • retinoid receptor e.g., isoforms ⁇ , ⁇ , and retinoid X receptor (RXR)
  • substantially pure DNA which includes an AIBl -encoding polynucleotides (or the complement thereof) is claimed.
  • substantially pure DNA is meant DNA that is free of the genes which, in the naturally-occurring genome of the organism from which the DNA of the invention is derived, flank the AIBl gene.
  • the term therefore includes, for example, a recombinant DNA which is incorporated into a vector, into an autonomously replicating plasmid or virus, or into the genomic DNA of a prokaryote or eukaryote at a site other than its natural site; or which exists as a separate molecule (e.g., a cDNA or a genomic or cDNA fragment produced by PCR or restriction endonuclease digestion) independent of other sequences. It also includes a recombinant DNA which is part of a hybrid gene encoding an additional polypeptide sequence.
  • the polypeptide includes a Per/Arnt/Sim (PAS) domain
  • the AIBl polypeptide includes the amino acid sequence of the entire naturally-occurring AIBl protein (Fig. 1; SEQ. I.D. NO. 4).
  • the peptide includes an ER-interacting domain of AIBl (e.g. , a domain comprising approximately amino acids 300 to 1250:
  • the invention also includes a substantially pure DNA which contains a polynucleotide which hybridizes at high stringency to an AIBl cDNA having the sequence of SEQ. I.D. NO. 1, or the complement thereof and a substantially pure DNA which contains a nucleotide sequence having at least 50% (for example at least 75%, 90%,95%, or 98-100%) sequence identity to SEQ. I.D. NO. 1, provided the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having the biological activity of a AIBl polypeptide.
  • biological activity is meant steroid receptor co-activator activity.
  • allelic variations of the naturally-occurring AIBl -encoding sequence SEQ. I.D. NO.
  • Sequence identity can be determined by comparing the nucleotide sequences of two nucleic acids using the BLAST sequence analysis software, for instance, the NCBI gapped BLAST 2.0 program set to default parameters. This software is available from The National Center for Biotechnology Information (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST).
  • High stringency refers to DNA hybridization and wash conditions characterized by high temperature and low salt - concentration, e.g., wash conditions of 65° C at a salt concentration of approximately 0.1 X SSC.
  • Low to “moderate” stringency refers to DNA hybridization and wash conditions characterized by low temperature and high salt concentration, e.g. wash conditions of less than 60° C at a salt concentration of at least 1.0 X SSC.
  • high stringency conditions may include hybridization at about 42°C, and about 50% formamide; a first wash at about 65°C, about 2X SSC, and 1% SDS; followed by a second wash at about 65°C and about 0.1% x SSC.
  • Lower stringency conditions suitable for detecting DNA sequences having about 50% sequence identity to an AIBl gene are detected by, for example, hybridization at about 42 °C in the absence of formamide; a first wash at about 42°C, about 6X SSC, and about 1 % SDS; and a second wash at about 50°C, about 6X SSC, and about 1 % SDS.
  • a substantially pure DNA including (a) the sequence of SEQ ID NO. 1 or (b) a degenerate variant thereof is also within the invention.
  • the AIBl -encoding DNA is preferably operably linked to regulatory sequences (including, e.g., a promoter) for expression of the polypeptide.
  • operably linked is meant that a coding sequence and a regulatory sequence(s) are connected in such a way as to permit gene expression when the appropriate molecules (e.g., transcriptional activator proteins) are bound to the regulatory sequence(s).
  • the invention also includes a substantially pure human AIBl polypeptide or fragment thereof.
  • the AIBl fragment may include an ER-interaction domain such as one having the amino acid sequence of SEQ. I.D. NO. 8.
  • the fragment may contain the amino acid sequence of SEQ. I.D. NOS. 2, 3, or 4.
  • a method of identifying a candidate compound which inhibits ER-dependent transcription is carried out by contacting the compound with an AIBl polypeptide and determining whether the compound binds to the polypeptide. Binding of the compound to the polypeptide indicates that the compound inhibits ER-dependent transcription, and in turn, proliferation of steroid hormone-responsive cancer cells.
  • the AIBl polypeptide contains a PAS domain or a bHLH domain.
  • the method is carried out by contacting the compound with an AIBl polypeptide and an ER polypeptide and determining the ability of the compound to interfere with the binding of the ER polypeptide with the AIBl polypeptide.
  • a compound which interferes with an AIB1/ER interaction inhibits - ER-dependent transcription.
  • a method of screening a candidate compound which inhibits an interaction of an AIBl polypeptide with an ER polypeptide in a cell includes the steps of (a) providing a GAL4 binding site linked to a reporter gene; (b) providing a GAM binding domain linked to either (i) an AIBl polypeptide or (ii) an ER polypeptide; (c) providing a GAL4 transactivation domain II linked to the ER polypeptide if the GAL4 binding domain is linked to the AIBl polypeptide or linked to-the AIBl polypeptide if the GAL4 binding domain is linked to the ER polypeptide; (d) contacting the cell with the compound; and (e) monitoring expression of the reporter gene.
  • a decrease in expression in the presence of the compound compared to that in the absence of the compound indicates that the compound inhibits an interaction of an AIBl polypeptide with the ER polypeptide.
  • Diagnostic methods to identify an aberrantly proliferating cell e.g., a steroid hormone- responsive cancer cell such as a breast cancer cell, ovarian cancer cell, or prostate cancer cell, are also included in the invention.
  • a method of detecting an aberrantly proliferating cell in a tissue sample is carried out by determining the level of AIBl gene expression in the sample. An increase in the level of gene expression compared to that in a normal control tissue indicates the presence of an aberrantly proliferating cell.
  • AIBl gene expression is measured using an AIBl gene-specific polynucleotides probe, e.g. in a Northern assay or polymerase chain reaction (PCR)- based assay, to detect AIBl mRNA transcripts.
  • AIBl gene expression can also be measured using an antibody specific for an AIBl gene product, e.g., by immunohistochemistry or Western blotting.
  • Aberrantly proliferating cells, e.g., cancer cells, in a tissue sample may be detected by determining the number of cellular copies of an AIBl gene in the tissue. An increase in the number of gene copies in a cell of a patient-derived tissue, compared to that in normal control tissue indicates the presence of a cancer.
  • a copy number greater than 2 is indicative of an aberrantly proliferative cell.
  • the copy number is greater than 5 copies per diploid genome, more preferably 10 copies, more preferably greater than 20, and most preferably greater than 25 copies.
  • An increase in copy number compared to the normal diploid copy number indicates that the tissue sample contains aberrantly proliferating steroid hormone-responsive cancer cells.
  • AIBl copy number is measured by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), Southern hybridization techniques, and other methods well known in the art (Kallioniemi et al., PNAS 91: 2156-2160 (1994); Guan et al., Nature Genetics 8: 155-161 (1994); Tanner et al., Clin. Cancer Res. 1: 1455-1461 (1995); Guan et al., Cancer Res. 56: 3446-3450 (August 1996); Anzick et al., Science 277: 965-968 (March 1997)).
  • FISH fluorescent in situ hybridization
  • Aberrantly proliferating cells can also be identified by genetic polymorphisms in the polyglutamine tract of AIBl, e.g., variations in the size of this domain which alter AIBl co- activator activity.
  • the invention also includes methods of treating a mammal, e.g., a human patient.
  • a method of reducing proliferation of a steroid hormone-responsive cancer cell e.g., an estrogen-responsive breast cancer cell
  • a compound which inhibits expression of AIBl is carried out by administering to the mammal a compound which inhibits expression of AIBl.
  • the compound reduces transcription of AIBl- encoding DNA in the cell.
  • the compound reduces translation of an AIBl mRNA into an AIBl gene product in the cell.
  • a method of inhibiting ER-dependent transcription in a breast cell of a mammal is carried out by administering an effective amount of an AIBl polypeptide or a peptide mimetic thereof to the mammal.
  • the polypeptide inhibits an AIB1/ER interaction; more preferably, the polypeptide contains an ER-interacting domain; a PAS domain or a bHLH domain of AIBl.
  • the invention also includes antibodies, e.g., a monoclonal antibody or polyclonal antisera, which bind specifically to AIBl.
  • antibody as used in this invention includes whole antibodies as well as fragments thereof, such as Fab, Fab', F(ab') 2 , and Fv which bind to an AIBl epitope.
  • antibody fragments are defined as follows: (1) Fab, the fragment which contains a monovalent antigen-binding fragment of an antibody molecule produced by digestion of whole antibody with the enzyme papain to yield an intact light chain and a portion of one heavy chain; (2) Fab', the fragment of an antibody molecule obtained by treating whole antibody with pepsin, followed by reduction, to yield an intact light chain and a portion of the heavy chain; two Fab' fragments are obtained per antibody molecule; (3) (Fab') 2 , the fragment of the antibody obtained by treating whole antibody with the enzyme pepsin without subsequent reduction; F(ab') 2 , a dimer of two Fab' fragments held together by two disulfide bonds; (4) Fv, a genetically engineered fragment containing the variable region of the light chain and the variable region of the heavy chain expressed as two chains; and (5) single chain antibody ("SCA”), a genetically engineered molecule containing the variable region of the light chain, the variable region of the heavy chain, linked by a suitable polypeptide linker as
  • Also within the invention is a method of identifying a tamoxifen-sensitive patient (one who is likely to respond to tamoxifen treatment by a reduction in rate of tumor growth) wherein the method includes the steps of (a) contacting a patient-derived tissue sample with tamoxifen; and (b) determining the level of AIBl gene expression or amplification in the sample. An increase in the level of expression or gene copy number compared to the level or cellular copy number in normal control tissue indicates that the patient is tamoxifen-sensitive.
  • AIBl gene expression is measured using an AIBl gene-specific polynucleotide probe, e.g., in a Northern blot or PCR-based assay to detect AIBl mRNA transcripts or in a Southern blot or FISH assay to detect amplification of the gene (which correlates directly with AIBl gene expression).
  • AIBl gene expression is measured by detecting an AIBl gene product, e.g., using an AIBl-specific antibody.
  • Transgenic mammals e.g., mice, which overexpress an AIBl gene product, e.g., by virtue of harboring multiple copies of AIBl -encoding DNA, are also within the invention.
  • Transgenic as used herein means a mammal which bears a transgene, a DNA sequence which is inserted by artifice into an embryo, and which then becomes part of the genome of the mammal that develops from that embryo.
  • Any non-human mammal which may be produced by transgenic technology is included in the invention; preferred mammals include, mice, rats, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and horses.
  • transgenic mammal DNA which is partly or entirely heterologous (i.e., foreign) to the transgenic mammal, or DNA homologous to an endogenous gene of the transgenic mammal, but which is inserted into the mammal's genome at a location which differs from that of the natural gene.
  • a knockout mutant for instance a knockout mouse wherein the mouse has had at least one copy of the AIBl gene (also called the pCIP gene in mice) deleted from its genome.
  • AIBl gene also called the pCIP gene in mice
  • Such a knockout mutant would be useful in research, for instance the phenotype gives insight into the physiological role of AIBl . Complementation experiments using such a knockout mutant can be used to identify other genes and proteins that make up for the lack of AIBl in the mutant to restore wild-type phenotype.
  • a mutant such as a mouse, which contains more than the normal number of copies of the AIBl (pCIP) gene, either integrated into a chromosome, for instance as a pro-virus, or in an extra-chromosomal element, such as on a plasmid.
  • pCIP AIBl
  • a mutant for example, a mouse, which contains the AIBl (pCIP) gene driven by a non-native promoter, such as a constitutive or an inducible promoter, such as the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter.
  • a non-native promoter such as a constitutive or an inducible promoter, such as the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter.
  • MMTV mouse mammary tumor virus
  • the invention also includes methods of treatment for cancers the growth of which involves alternations of signaling pathways involving p300 and/or CBP.
  • AIBl pCIP
  • pCIP pCIP
  • p300 a molecule that binds to AIBl and inhibits AIBl's interaction with p300, thereby disrupting signaling of this pathway and reducing transcription of molecules whose transcription is positively regulated by this pathway; thereby reducing tumor growth.
  • Chromosome microdissection and hybrid selection techniques were used to isolate probes and clone gene sequences which map to chromosome 20q, one of the recurrent sites of DNA amplification in breast cancer cells identified by molecular cytogenetics (Kallioniemi et al., PNAS 91: 2156-2160 (1994); Guan et al., Nature Genetics 8: 155-161 (1994); Tanner et al., Clin. Cancer Res. 1: 1455-1461 (1995); Guan et al., Cancer Res. 56: 3446-3450 (August 1996); Anzick et aL, Science 277: 965-968 (March 1997)).
  • AIBl is a member of the SRC-1 family of nuclear receptor (NR) co-activators. AIBl functions to enhance ER-dependent transcription. SRC-1 and the closely related TIF2 are steroid receptor co-activators with an affinity for NRs.
  • the mouse ortholog of human AIBl is called pCIP. In this application pCIP and AIBl will be used synonymously unless the contrary is clearly expressed.
  • AIBl To characterize AIBl, the full length cDNA was cloned and sequenced.
  • An AIBl specific primer N8F1 (5'-TCATCACTTCCGACAACAGAGG-3'; SEQ. I.D. NO. 5) was biotinylated and used to capture cDNA clones from a human lung cDNA library (Gibco, BRL) using the GENETRAPPER cDNA Positive Selection System (Gibco, BRL). The largest clone (5.8 kb), designated pCMVSPORT-Bl 1, was selected for sequence analysis.
  • a random-primed library from BT-474 was constructed in bacteriophage ⁇ -Zap (Stratagene) and hybridized with a 372 bp 32 P-labeled PCR product amplified from a human spleen cDNA library using primers designed form the 5' sequence of pCMVSPORT-Bll, PM-U2 (5'- CCAGAAACGTCACTATCAAG-3', forward primer; SEQ. I.D. NO. 6) and Bl 1-1 IRA (5*- TTACTGGAACCCCCATACC-3', reverse primer; SEQ. I.D. NO. 7).
  • Plasmid rescue of 19 positive clones yielded a clone, pBluescript-R22, which overlapped pCMVSPORT-Bll and contained the 5' end of the coding region.
  • pBluescript-R22 which overlapped pCMVSPORT-Bll and contained the 5' end of the coding region.
  • AIBl clone To generate a full length AIBl clone, the 4.85 kb
  • Hindlll/Xhol fragment of pCMVSPORT-Bll was subcloned into Hindlll/Xhol sites of pBluescript- R22.
  • the 4.84 kb Notl/Nhel fragment of the full length clone containing the entire coding region was then subcloned into the Notl/Xbal sites of the expression vector, pcDNA3.1 (Invitrogen), generating pcDNA3.1-AIBl.
  • the cloned DNA sequence (SEQ. I.D. No. 1) revealed an open reading frame (beginning at the underlined "ATG") encoding a protein of 1420 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 155 kDa (Fig. 1A).
  • AIBl contains a bHLH domain preceding a PAS domain, serine/threonine-rich regions, and a charged cluster (Fig. IB). There is also a glutamine-rich region which, unlike SRC-1 and TIF2, contains a polyglutamine tract (Fig. IB). The polyglutamine tract of AIBl is subject to genetic polymorphism. Variations in the size of this domain alter AIBl co-activator activity.
  • AIBl gene copy number was determined by FISH.
  • FISH FISH analysis
  • interphase nuclei were fixed in methanol: acetic acid (3:1) and dropped onto microscope slides.
  • AIBl amplification was detected in the breast cancer cell line ZR75-1, the ovarian cancer cell line BG-1, and two uncultured breast cancer samples.
  • Intra-chromosomal amplification of AIBl was apparent in metaphase chromosomes of ZR75-1 and BG1. Numerous copies of AIBl were resolved in the adjacent interphase nuclei.
  • Extrachromosomal copies e.g., in episomes or double minute chromosomes
  • the Spectrum-Orange (Vysis) labeled AIBl PI probe was hybridized with a biotinylated reference probe for 20ql 1 (RMC20P037) or a fluorescein labeled probe for 20p (RMC20C039).
  • AIBl was highly overexpressed in BT-474, MCF-7, ZR75-1, and BG-1 (Fig. 2).
  • Three of the four cell lines exhibiting AIBl overexpression also demonstrated prominent ER expression, while two others displayed lower but detectable ER expression (BT-474 and BT-20).
  • Fig. 2 also shows that the expression of TIF2 and SRC-l remained relatively constant in all cell lines tested.
  • TIF-2, SRC-1, and AIBl are characterized by highly conserved N-terminal bHLH and PAS domains.
  • the PAS region functions as a protein dimerization interface in the mammalian aryl hydrocarbon receptor and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear transporter proteins, as well as the Drosophila transcription factors sim and per.
  • the PAS region (SEQ. I.D. NO. 2) of AIBl functions as a protein interaction domain, mediating binding between AIBl and other proteins.
  • steroid hormone activators lacking the PAS domain are capable of interacting with nuclear steroid hormone receptors.
  • the highly conserved bHLH domain (SEQ. I.D. NO. 3) participates in protein interactions which mediate or modulate transmission of the hormone signal to the transcriptional apparatus.
  • the ER-interacting domain (SEQ. I.D. NO. 8) mediates binding of AIBl with a steroid hormone receptor protein.
  • AIBl also interacts with the transcriptional integrators CREB binding protein (CBP) and p300. These transcriptional integrators interact directly with the basal transcriptional machinery.
  • CBP/p300 receptor association domain of AIBl does not encompass the bHLH/PAS regions.
  • B. Purification of Gene Products DNA containing a sequence that encodes part or all of the amino acid sequence of AIBl can be subcloned into an expression vector, using a variety of methods known in the art. The recombinant protein can then be purified using standard methods. For example, a recombinant polypeptide can be expressed as a fusion protein in procaryotic cells such as E. coli.
  • maltose binding protein fusion and purification system (New England Biolabs), the cloned human cDNA sequence is inserted downstream and in frame of the gene encoding maltose binding protein (malE).
  • the malE fusion protein is overexpressed in E. coli and can be readily purified in quantity.
  • PCR can be used to introduce restriction sites compatible with the pMalE vector at the 5' and 3' end of the cDNA fragment to facilitate insertion of the cDNA fragment into the vector.
  • affinity chromatography For example, the fusion protein can be purified by virtue of the ability of the maltose binding protein portion of the fusion protein to bind to amylase immobilized on a column.
  • the pMalE plasmid contains a factor Xa cleavage site upstream of the site into which the cDNA is inserted into the vector.
  • the fusion protein purified as described above can be cleaved with factor Xa to separate the maltose binding protein portion of the fusion protein from recombinant human cDNA gene product.
  • the cleavage products can be subjected to further chromatography to purify recombinant polypeptide from the maltose binding protein.
  • an antibody specific for the desired recombinant gene product can be used to purify the fusion protein and/or the gene product cleaved from the fusion protein.
  • Many comparable commercially available fusion protein expression systems can be utilized similarly.
  • AIBl polypeptides can also be expressed in eucaryotic cells, e.g., yeast cells, either alone or as a fusion protein.
  • eucaryotic cells e.g., yeast cells
  • a fusion protein containing the GAL4 DNA-binding domain or activation domain fused to a functional domain of AIBl e.g., the PAS domain, the bHLH-domain, or the ER-interacting domain
  • a fusion protein containing the GAL4 DNA-binding domain or activation domain fused to a functional domain of AIBl e.g., the PAS domain, the bHLH-domain, or the ER-interacting domain
  • yeast cells using standard methods such as the yeast two hybrid system described below.
  • AIBl polypeptides can be expressed in COS-1 cells using methods well known in the art, e.g., by transfecting a DNA encoding an AIBl polypeptide into COS-1 cells using, e.g., the Lipofectamine transfection protocol described below, and culturing the cells under conditions suitable for protein expression.
  • AIBl amplification in cancer-derived cell lines as well as uncultured breast cancer cells was carried out using bicolor FISH analysis as follows.
  • a genomic PI clone containing AIBl was labeled with Spectrum Orange-dUTP (Vysis) using the BioPrime DNA Labeling System (Gibco BRL).
  • a 20qll PI clone was labeled with Biotin-16-dUTP (BMB) using nick translation. Fluorescent images were captured using a Zeiss axiophot microscope equipped with a CCD camera and IP Lab Spectrum software (Signal Analytics).
  • Southern analysis is carried out using a non-repetitive fragment of genomic AIBl DNA, e.g., derived from the 20qll PI clone described above or another AIBl gene-containing genomic clone, as a probe.
  • the level of gene expression may be measured using methods known in the art, e.g., in situ hybridization, Northern blot analysis, or Western blot analysis using AIBl-specific monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies.
  • AIBl gene transcription was measured using Northern analysis. For example, the data shown in Fig. 2 was obtained as follows. The blot was hybridized sequentially with a probe (ER, AIBl, TIF2, SRC-1, or ⁇ -actin as indicated to the left of the photograph). AIBl expression was compared to that of ER, TIF2, and SRC-1.
  • cDNA clones were obtained from Research Genetics [TIF2 (clone 132364, GenBank accession no.
  • the AIBl probe was a 2.2kb Notl/SacI fragment of pCMVSPORT-Bl 1.
  • the ⁇ -actin probe was used as a control for loading error. To avoid cross- hybridization between these related genes and to match signal intensities, similar sized probes from the 3'UTRs of AIBl, TIF2, and SRC-1 were utilized. Each of these probes detected a signal in normal mammary RNA on longer exposure. Electrophoresis, transfer and hybridization of 15 ⁇ g total RNA was performed by standard methods.
  • AIBl polypeptides to be used as antigens to raise AIBl -specific antibodies can be generated by methods known in the art, e.g., proteolytic cleavage, de novo synthesis, or expression of a recombinant polypeptide from the cloned AIBl gene or a fragment thereof.
  • AIBl -specific antibodies are then produced using standard methodologies for raising polyclonal antisera and making monoclonal antibody-producing hybridoma cell lines (see Coligan et al., eds., Current Protocols in Immunology, 1992, Greene Publishing Associates and Wiley-Interscience).
  • a mouse is immunized with an AIBl polypeptide, antibody- secreting B cells isolated from the mouse, and the B cells immortalized with a non-secretory myeloma cell fusion partner. Hybridomas are then screened for production of an AIBl -specific antibody and cloned to obtain a homogenous cell population which produces a monoclonal antibody.
  • antibodies e.g., AIBl specific monoclonal antibodies
  • Antibodies with a desired binding specificity can be commercially humanized (Scotgene, Scotland; Oxford Molecular, Palo Alto, CA).
  • the invention includes a method of detecting an aberrantly proliferating cell, e.g., a steroid hormone-responsive cancer cell such as a breast cancer cell, an ovarian cancer cell, colon cancer cell, or prostate cancer cell, by detecting the number of AIBl gene copies in the cell and/or the level of expression of the AIBl gene product.
  • AIBl gene amplification or gene expression in a patient-derived tissue sample is measured as described above and compared to the level of amplification or gene expression in normal non-cancerous cells.
  • An increase in the level of amplification or gene expression detected in the patient-derived biopsy sample compared to the normal control is diagnostic of a diseased state, i.e., the presence of a steroid hormone responsive cancer.
  • Such assays are also useful to determine the frequency of alterations of AIBl expression in pre-malignant breast lesions (e.g. ductal carcinoma in situ) and during the progression from hormone dependent to hormone independent tumor growth.
  • the diagnostic methods of the invention are useful to determine the prognosis of a patient and estrogen responsive status of a steroid hormone-responsive cancer.
  • AIBl expression can also be measured at the protein level by detecting an AIBl gene products with an AIBl -specific monoclonal or polyclonal antibody preparation.
  • AIBl e.g., as a result of AIBl gene amplification
  • steroid hormone- responsive cancers can predict whether the cancer is treatable with anti-endocrine compositions, e.g., tamoxifen.
  • AIBl amplification or overexpression in a patient-derived tissue sample compared to a normal (non-cancerous) tissue indicates tumor progression.
  • Absence of AIBl e.g., loss of all or part of the AIBl gene, but retention of ER-positivity in steroid hormone-responsive cancers predicts failure or poor responsiveness to anti-endocrine therapy, e.g., administration of anti-estrogen compositions such as tamoxifen. Since loss of AIBl expression in a cancer cell may indicate a disruption of the ER signal transduction pathway, anti- estrogen therapy may be ineffective to treat such cancers. Patients identified in this manner (who would otherwise be treated with anti-estrogens) would be treated with alternative therapies.
  • Loss of estrogen receptor in recurrent breast caner is also associated with poor response to endocrine therapy. Up to 30% to 40% of metastases from hormone receptor-positive primary breast cancer do not respond to endocrine therapy. The frequency of hormone receptor status changes between primary and recurrent tumors and whether such a change might explain unresponsiveness to endocrine therapy was examined. Primary breast cancer samples and matched asynchronous recurrences were studied from 50 patients who had not received any adjuvant therapy. ER and progesterone receptor (PR) status was determined immunohistochemically from histologically representative formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples. ER status was ascertained by mRNA in situ hybridization.
  • PR progesterone receptor
  • Example 5 Screening of candidate compounds A.
  • the invention includes methods of screening to identify compounds which inhibit the interaction of AIBl with ER, thereby decreasing estrogen dependent transcription which leads to- aberrant cell proliferation.
  • a transcription assay is carried out in the presence and absence of the candidate compound.
  • a decrease in transcription in the presence of the compound compared to that in its absence indicates that the compound blocks an AIB1/ER interaction and inhibits estrogen dependent transcription.
  • an ER reporter plasmid can be used.
  • the transcription assays described herein were conducted as follows. COS-1 cells were grown and maintained in phenol-red free DMEM medium supplemented with 10% charcoal-stripped fetal bovine serum. Cells were plated into 6-well culture dishes at 1.5 X 10 5 cells/well and allowed to grow overnight. Transfection of cells with the ER reporter plasmid was performed with Lipofectamine (Gibco, BRL) following the manufacturer's protocol. Three ng pRL-CMV were used as an internal control for transfection efficiency. Ligand or ethanol vehicle was added 234 hours post-transfection and cell lysates were harvested 48 hours post-transfection.
  • Reporter activities were determined using the Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System (Promega) and the results expressed in relative luminescence units (RLU; luciferase/Ren/7/ ⁇ luciferase).
  • RLU relative luminescence units
  • CMV and pGL3-promoter were obtained from Promega.
  • pHEGO-hyg was obtained from ATCC.
  • the ER reporter pGL3.luc.3ERE contains three tandem copies of the ERE upstream from the SV40 promoter driving the luciferase gene. Standard mammalian expression vectors were utilized.
  • AIB1/ER co-precipitation assays are carried out as follows. An AIBl polypeptide and an ER polypeptide are incubated together to allow complex formation. One of the polypeptides is typically a fusion protein, e.g., GST-AIB1, and the other is tagged with a detectable label, e.g., 32 P-labeled ER). After incubation, the complex is precipitated, e.g., using glutathione-Sepharose beads. The beads are washed, filtered through a glass fiber filter, and collected. The amount of co-precipitated 32 P-label is measured. A reduction in the amount of co- precipitated label in the presence of a candidate compound compared to that in the absence of the candidate compound indicates that the compound inhibits an AIB1/ER interaction
  • one polypeptide e.g., AIBl
  • the second polypeptide e.g., ER
  • the amount of the second polypeptide which is retained on the solid support is then measured. A reduction in the amount of retained (second) polypeptide in the presence of a candidate compound compared to that in its absence indicates that the compound inhibits an AIB1/ER interaction.
  • An evaluation of AIB1/ER interaction and identification of compounds that blocks or reduces the interaction can also be carried out in vivo using a yeast two-hybrid expression system in which the activity of a transcriptional activator is reconstituted when die two proteins or polypeptides of interest closely interact or bind to one another.
  • the yeast GAL4 protein consists of functionally distinguishable domains. One domain is responsible for DNA-binding and the other for transcriptional activation.
  • plasmids encoding two hybrid proteins a first fusion protein containing the GAL4 DNA-binding domain fused to a first protein, e.g., AIBl, and the second fusion protein containing the GAL4 activation domain fused to a second protein, e.g., ER, are introduced- into yeast. If the two proteins are able to interact with one another, the ability to activate transcription from promoters containing Gal4-binding sites upstream from an activating sequence from GAL1 (UAS G ) is reconstituted leading to the expression of a reporter gene. A reduction in the expression of the reporter gene in the presence of a candidate compound compared to that in the absence of the compound indicates that the compound reduces an AIB1/ER interaction.
  • a method of identifying a DNA-binding protein which regulates AIBl transcription can be carried out as follows:
  • a DNA containing a cis-acting regulatory element can be immobilized on polymeric beads, such as agarose or acrylamide.
  • a mixture of proteins, such as a cell lysate, is allowed to come in contact with and bind to the DNA.
  • specifically-bound proteins are eluted with a competing DNA sequence which may be identical to the immobilized sequence.
  • Specific binding of a protein to the DNA regulatory element indicates that the protein may regulate AIBl transcription.
  • Functional activity of the identified trans-acting factor can be confirmed with an appropriate functional assay, such as one which measures the level of transcription of a reporter gene having the cis-acting regulatory gene 5' to the transcription start site of AIBl .
  • a method of identifying a compound which decreases the level of AIBl transcription can be accomplished by contacting an immobilized AIBl -derived cis-acting regulatory element with a trans-acting regulatory factor in the presence and absence of candidate compound.
  • a detectable change, i.e., a reduction, in specific binding of the trans-acting factor to its DNA target indicates that the candidate compound inhibits AIBl transcription.
  • AIBl In addition to interacting with ER, AIBl also interacts with the transcriptional integrators CBP and p300. CBP and p300 participate in the basal transcriptional apparatus in a cell. Thus, another approach to inhibit signal transduction through AIBl is to prevent the formation of or disrupt an interaction of AIBl with CBP and/or p300.
  • Compounds which inhibit signal transduction (and dierefore cell proliferation) can be identified by contacting AIBl (or a fragment thereof which interacts with CBP or p300) with CBP or p300 (or a fragment thereof containing an AIBl -interacting domain, e.g., a C-terminal fragment) in the presence and absence of a candidate compound.
  • a C-terminal fragment of CBP involved in steroid receptor co-activator interaction contains 105 amino acids in the Q-rich region of CBP (Kamei et al., 1996, Cell 85:403- 414; Yao et al., 1996, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:10626-10631; Hanstein et al., 1996, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:11540-11545).
  • a decrease in AIBl interaction with CBP or p300 in the presence of a candidate compound compared to that its absence indicates that the compound inhibits AIBl interaction with these transcriptional integrators, and as a result, AIBl -mediated signal transduction leading to DNA transcription and cell proliferation.
  • Compounds which inhibit AIBl interaction with transcriptional integrators can also be identified using a co-precipitation assay and the yeast two-hybrid expression system described above.
  • Transgenic mice are made by standard methods, e.g., as described in Leder et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,736,866, herein incorporated by reference, or Hogan et al., 1986 Manipulating the Mouse Embryo. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory” New York.
  • a vector containing a promoter operably linked to AIBl -encoding cDNA is injected into murine zygotes, e.g., C57BL/6J X DBA/2F2 zygotes. Incorporation of the transgene into murine genomic DNA is monitored using methods well known in the art of molecular biology, e.g., dot blotting tail DNA with a probe complimentary to the 3' region of the gene contained in the AIBl transgene construct. Mice thus confirmed to harbor the transgene can then be used as founders. Animal lines are created by crossing founders with C57BL/6J mice (The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME).
  • AIBl transgenic mice can be used to screen candidate compounds in vivo to identify compounds which inhibit aberrant cell proliferation, e.g., as measured by reduction tumor growth or metastasis.
  • AIBl transgenic mice are also useful to identify other genes involved in steroid hormone receptor-dependent cancers and to establish mouse cell lines which overexpress AIBl.
  • AIBl-overexpressing cell lines are useful to screen for compounds mat interfere with AIBl function, e.g, by blocking the interaction of AIBl with a ligand.
  • AIBl is a novel member of the SRC-1 family of transcriptional co- activators.
  • Amplification and overexpression of AIBl in ER-positive breast and ovarian cancer cells and in breast cancer biopsies implicate this protein as a critical component of the estrogen response pathway.
  • AIBl overexpression results in increased ER-dependent transcriptional activity which confers a growth advantage of AIBl amplification-bearing clones during the development and progression of estrogen-dependent cancers.
  • Compounds which inhibit or disrupt the interaction of an AIBl gene product with a steroid hormone receptor, e.g., ER, are useful as anti-neoplastic agents for the treatment of patients suffering from steroid hormone-responsive cancers such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer.
  • a steroid hormone receptor e.g., ER
  • compounds which disrupt interaction between AIBl and p300 and/or CBP are also useful as anti-neoplastic agents.
  • AIBl polypeptides or peptide mimetics of such polypeptides can be administered to patients to block the interaction of endogenous intracellular AIBl and a steroid hormone receptor, e.g., ER in an aberrantly proliferating cell.
  • a mimetic may be made by introducing conservative amino acid substitutions into the peptide. Certain amino acid substitutions are conservative since the old and the new amino acid share a similar hydrophobicity or hydrophylicity or are similarly acidic, basic or neutrally charged (Stryer "Biochemistry" 1975, Ch.2, Freeman and Company, New York). Conservative substitutions replace one amino acid with another amino acid that is similar in size, hydrophobicity, etc. Examples of conservative substitutions are shown in the table below (Table
  • compositions administered therapeutically include polypeptide mimetics in which one or more peptide bonds have been replaced with an alternative type of covalent bond which is not susceptible to cleavage by peptidases. Where proteolytic degradation of the peptides following injection into the subject is a problem, replacement of a particularly sensitive peptide bond with a noncleavable peptide mimetic yields a more stable and thus more useful therapeutic polypeptide.
  • Such mimetics, and methods of incorporating them into polypeptides are well known in the art.
  • amino-terminal blocking groups such as t-butyloxycarbonyl, acetyl, theyl, succinyl, methoxysuccinyl, suberyl, adipyl, azelayl, dansyl, benzyloxycarbonyl, fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl, methoxyazelayl, methoxy adipyl, methoxysuberyl, and 2,4,-dinitrophenyl.
  • AIBl polypeptides or related peptide mimetics may be administered to a patient , intravenously in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier such as physiological saline.
  • a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier such as physiological saline.
  • Standard methods for intracellular delivery of peptides can be used, e.g. packaged in liposomes. Such methods are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is expected that an intravenous dosage of approximately 1 to 100 ⁇ moles of the polypeptide of the invention would be administered per kg of body weight per day.
  • the compositions of the invention are useful for parenteral administration, such as intravenous, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and intraperitoneal.
  • compositions of this invention may also be administered by the use of surgical implants which release the compounds of the invention.
  • These devices could be readily implanted into the target tissue, e.g., a solid tumor mass, and could be mechanical or passive.
  • Mechanical devices, such as pumps, are well known in the art, as are passive devices (e.g. , consisting of a polymer matrix which contains therapeutic formulations; these polymers may slowly dissolve or degrade to release the compound, or may be porous and allow release via pores).
  • Antisense therapy in which a DNA sequence complementary to an AIBl mRNA transcript is either produced in the cell or administered to the cell can be used to decrease AIBl gene expression thereby inhibiting undesired cell proliferation, e.g., proliferation of steroid hormone-responsive cancer cells.
  • An antisense polynucleotide i.e., one which is complementary of the coding sequence of the AIBl gene, is introduced into the cells in which the gene is overproduced.
  • the antisense strand (either RNA or DNA) may be directly introduced into the cells in a form that is capable of binding to the transcripts.
  • a vector containing a DNA sequence which, once within the target cells, is transcribed into the appropriate antisense mRNA may be administered.
  • An antisense nucleic acid which hybridizes to the coding strand of AIBl DNA can decrease or inhibit production of an AIBl gene product by associating with the normally single- stranded mRNA transcript, and thereby interfering with translation.
  • DNA is introduced into target cells of the patient with or without a vector or using standard vectors and/or gene delivery systems. Suitable gene delivery systems may include liposomes, receptor-mediated delivery systems, naked DNA, and viral vectors such as herpes viruses, retroviruses, and adenoviruses, among others.
  • the DNA of the invention may be administered in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
  • Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers are biologically compatible vehicles which are suitable for administration to an animal e.g., physiological saline.
  • a therapeutically effective amount is an amount of the nucleic acid of the invention which is capable of producing a medically desirable result in a patient.
  • dosage for any given patient depends upon many factors, including the patient's size, body surface area, age, the particular compound to be administered, sex, time and route of administration, general health, and other drugs being administered concurrently. Dosages will vary, but a preferred dosage for intravenous administration of a nucleic acid is from approximately 10 6 to 10 22 copies of the nucleic acid molecule. Determination of optimal dosage is well within the abilities of a pharmacologist of ordinary skill.
  • Example 7 AIBl Knockout and Overexpression Mouse Mutants
  • Mutants organism that underexpress or overexpress AIBl are useful for research. Such mutants allow insight into the physiological and/or pathological role of AIBl in a healthy and/or pathological organism.
  • These mutants are said to be "genetically engineered,” meaning that information in the form of nucleotides has been transferred into the mutant's genome at a location, or in a combination, in which it would not normally exist. Nucleotides transferred in this way are said to be “non-native.” For example, a WAP promoter inserted upstream of a native AIBl gene would be non-native.
  • Mutants may be, for example, produced from mammals, such as mice, that either overexpress AIBl or underexpress AIBl or that do not express AIBl at all.
  • Overexpression mutants are made by increasing the number of AIBl genes in the organism, or by introducing an AIBl gene into the organism under the control of a constitutive or inducible or viral promoter such as the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter or the whey acidic protein (WAP) promoter or the metallothionein promoter.
  • MMTV mouse mammary tumor virus
  • WAP whey acidic protein
  • Mutants that underexpress AIBl may be made by using an inducible or repressible promoter, or by deleting the AIBl gene, or by destroying or limiting the function of the AIBl gene, for instance by disrupting the gene by transposon insertion.
  • Anti-sense genes may be engineered into the organism, under a constitutive or inducible promoter, to decrease or prevent AIBl expression.
  • a gene is said to be "functionally deleted” when genetic engineering has been used to negate or reduce gene expression to negligible levels.
  • this reference refers to the AIBl gene and to any ortholog of this gene, for instance "a transgenic animal wherein at least one AIBl gene has been functionally deleted” would encompass the mouse ortholog of the AIBl gene, pCIP.
  • a mutant mouse overexpressing AIBl may be made by constructing a plasmid having the
  • AIBl gene driven by a promoter such as the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter or the whey acidic protein (WAP) promoter.
  • MMTV mouse mammary tumor virus
  • WAP whey acidic protein
  • WAP is quite specific for mammary gland expression during lactation, and MMTV is expressed in a variety of tissues including mammary gland, salivary gland and lymphoid tissues. Many other promoters might be used to achieve various paterns of expression, e.g., the metallothionein promoter.
  • An inducible system may be created in which AIBl is driven by a promoter regulated by an agent which can be fed to the mouse such as tetracycline.
  • an agent which can be fed to the mouse such as tetracycline.
  • a mutant knockout mouse from which the AIBl (also called pCIP) gene is deleted was made by removing coding regions of the AIBl gene from mouse embryonic stem cells.
  • Fig. 5 shows the intron/exon structure for pCIP. Using this table, mutations can be targeted to coding sequences, avoiding silent mutations caused by deletion of non-coding sequences.
  • Fig. 6 shows the intron exon structure for the human AIBl gene). These cells were microinjected into mouse embryos leading to the deletion of the mouse AIBl gene in the germ line of a transgenic mouse.
  • the mouse AIBl gene was mapped and isolated by the following method: The primers AIB/mEST
  • BAC Bacterial Artificial Chromosome
  • FISH fluorescence in situ hybridization
  • the structure of the human AIBl gene was determined by polymerase chain reaction of a human genomic DNA clone containing AIBl using standard methods (Genomics 1995 Jan 20;25(2):501-506) and d en the sequences of the intron exon boundaries were determined (Fig.4). Based on this information, the corresponding regions of die mouse BAC were sequenced. The structure of the mouse gene corresponds closely to mat of the human gene (Fig. 4). This information localizes the coding regions of the mouse AIBl gene so that a targeting vector can be constructed to remove these regions from mouse embryonic stem cells.
  • CAG CAG ATG CTT CAA ATG AGG CCT GGT GAA ATC CCC ATG GGA ATG GGG GCT AAT CCC Gin Gin Met Leu Gin Met Arg Pro Gly Glu Ile Pro Met Gly Met Gly Ala Asn Pro
  • AGA GCT TTG GGC ATT CCT GAA CTT GTC AAT CAG GGA CAG GCA TTA GAG CCC AAA CAG Arg Ala Leu Gly Ile Pro Glu Leu Val Asn Gin Gly Gin Ala Leu Glu Pro Lys Gin
  • AGC AGA GAG CTG CTA AGT CAT CAC TTC CGA CAA CAG AGG GTG GCT ATG ATG ATG CAG Ser Arg Glu Leu Leu Ser His His Phe Arg Gin Gin Arg Val Ala Met Met Met Met Gin
  • AAA ATT AAG ACC GAG ACG AAC GAG GAG GTA TCG GGA GAC CTG GAT AAT CTA GAT
  • GCT CTG CTG GAC CAG CTG CAC ACA CTC CTG AGC AAC ACA GAT GCC ACA GGT CTG Ala Leu Leu Asp Gin Leu His Thr Leu Leu Ser Asn Thr Asp Ala Thr Gly Leu 1105 1110 1115 GAG GAG ATC GAC AGG GCC TTG GGA ATT CCT GAG CTC GTG AAT CAG GGA CAA GCT

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EP98931358A 1997-06-17 1998-06-17 Aib1, ein steroidrezeptor co-aktivator Expired - Lifetime EP0988317B1 (de)

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US4972897P 1997-06-17 1997-06-17
US49728P 1997-06-17
PCT/US1998/012689 WO1998057982A2 (en) 1997-06-17 1998-06-17 Aib1, a steroid receptor co-activator

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AU1801099A (en) * 1997-12-22 1999-07-12 American Home Products Corporation Nucleic acid sequences encoding nuclear receptor coactivator proteins and uses thereof
US7132258B1 (en) 1998-02-04 2006-11-07 University Of Massachusetts Nucleic acid encoding vitamin D receptor related polypeptide
US6156571A (en) * 1999-11-15 2000-12-05 Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Antisense inhibition of SRC-3 expression
IT1318608B1 (it) * 2000-07-04 2003-08-27 Univ Degli Studi Milano Topo transgenico per lo screening e per studi di farmacodinamica efarmacocinetica di ligandi attivi sul recettore degli estrogeni e sui
US20040259085A1 (en) * 2000-07-27 2004-12-23 Chawnshang Chang Methods and compositions for predicting prostate cancer
AU2002346049A1 (en) * 2001-07-05 2003-01-21 Georgetown University Medical Center Coactivators in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer
WO2003089904A2 (en) * 2002-04-17 2003-10-30 Baylor College Of Medicine Aib1 as a prognostic marker and predictor of resistance to encocrine therapy
IL149404A0 (en) * 2002-04-29 2002-11-10 Yissum Res Dev Co METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR MODULATING β-CATENIN PHOSPHORYLATION
KR20080072823A (ko) 2005-10-24 2008-08-07 다이호야쿠힌고교 가부시키가이샤 ＲＡＲ-α 작동제의 유효성의 예측방법
ES2484142T3 (es) * 2006-09-06 2014-08-11 The Regents Of The University Of California Diagnóstico molecular y clasificación del melanoma maligno
WO2022171136A1 (en) * 2021-02-10 2022-08-18 Etern Biopharma (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Methods for modulating a src-1 condensate

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US5028525A (en) 1986-11-24 1991-07-02 Regents Of The University Of California Method of preparing and applying single stranded DNA probes to double stranded target DNAs in situ
CA2090407A1 (en) 1990-09-21 1992-03-22 Ronald M. Evans Functional antagonism between proto-oncoprotein c-jun and hormone receptors
EP0643583B1 (de) 1992-05-06 2000-07-26 Immunomedics, Inc. Intraoperative, intravaskulare und endoskopische bestimmung und behandlung von verletzungen und tumoren
US5472842A (en) 1993-10-06 1995-12-05 The Regents Of The University Of California Detection of amplified or deleted chromosomal regions
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US5750336A (en) * 1994-02-10 1998-05-12 The Salk Institute For Biological Studies Assays for the identification of compounds which inhibit activation of cAMP and mitogen responsive genes
JP3517988B2 (ja) * 1994-09-21 2004-04-12 小野薬品工業株式会社 ヒトマッカード−ジョセフ病関連蛋白質、その蛋白質をコードするｃＤＮＡおよび遺伝子、そのＤＮＡまたは遺伝子を含むベクター、その発現ベクターで形質転換された宿主細胞、マッカード−ジョセフ病の診断方法および治療剤
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WO1998003652A2 (en) * 1996-07-23 1998-01-29 The Government Of The United States Of America, Represented By The Secretary, Department Of Health And Human Services P300/cbp-associated transcriptional co-factor p/caf and uses thereof
US6812336B1 (en) * 1997-06-12 2004-11-02 The Regents Of The University Of California Transcription factor coactivator protein, p/CIP

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US20090023645A1 (en) 2009-01-22
WO1998057982A2 (en) 1998-12-23
WO1998057982A3 (en) 1999-03-18
US7232890B2 (en) 2007-06-19
AU732149B2 (en) 2001-04-12
DE69839395D1 (de) 2008-06-05
ATE393163T1 (de) 2008-05-15
AU8150698A (en) 1999-01-04
JP2002510208A (ja) 2002-04-02
EP0988317B1 (de) 2008-04-23
US6562589B1 (en) 2003-05-13
CA2295332A1 (en) 1998-12-23
CA2295332C (en) 2011-02-15

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